An image is compressed and then transmitted. Therefore, a receiving device includes a decoding unit for decoding reception data. Generally, a receiving device includes a buffer for retaining reception data, a decoded image, or a reference image in a preceding stage or subsequent stage to the decoding unit or therewithin. The decoding unit is generally provided with a large-capacity buffer in case where image data cannot be received.
It is important that mobile terminals implement low power consumption. However, large-capacity buffers consume a large volume of power and it results in large power consumption of the device. Moreover, large-capacity buffers result in high product cost. To implement low power consumption and low cost, buffers are required to have a smaller capacity.
In addition, it is important that game terminals implement low delay. However, in a device requiring a large-capacity buffer, a delay in image output is large since a certain volume of image data is retained in the buffer and then decoding or outputting of the image starts. To implement low delay in image transmission, buffers are required to have a smaller capacity.
However, a small-capacity buffer is prone to artifacts of output images when a transmission path of the image becomes unstable.